Golf-ball cleaner



May 4 1926. 1,533,470

w.-G. KAPP GOLF BALL CLEANER I Filed May 19, 1924 INVENTOR tation to doso is removed.

Patented May 4, 1926.

WESLEYG. xArr, or TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR or ONE-TENTH To JOHN F. RULE; 01";

PATENT oF F rcE;

'ronnno, OHIO. a g

GOLF-BALL CLEANER.

Application filed May 19, 1924. Serial no. 714,207;

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I; WESLEY G. KAPP, a citizen of the United States residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Golf-Ball Cleaners, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to a machine particularly adapted for cleaning golf balls.

An object of theinvention is to provide a practical form of-golf ball washing or cleaning machinewhich iskfree from objections and defects found in devices intended for such purpose at present on the market. Golf ball washers are ordinarily placed at the different stations on the golf course, where they can readily be tampered with by mischievous caddies and others. It isa very common practice for such persons to put sand anddirt in the machines which soon ruins them. I

An object ofthe present invention is to provide a golf ball cleaning machine so constructed that it is difficult or impossible for a person to place sand or other foreign substances therein, and in which the temp- 1 'A further object of the invention is-to provide a practical construction embodying a rotary brush for cleaning the ball, in combination with effective means for supporting the ball and rolling it in contact with the brush in such amanner that every part of the ball is quickly brought into engagement with the-brush andthoroughly cleaned. Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter. V In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine constructed in accordance with my invention. a 2 1 Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, the section being taken at the plane of the line IIII on Figure 4. I

Figure 3 is a section at the line III-III on Figure 1, the ball-holding pocket being in open position, v

Figure 4 is a similar view with said pocket in closed position. Figure 5 is a sectional detail showing particularly the arrangement of the rolls.

The machine comprises a; casing including a lower section 10 and an upper section 11 connected by avhin ge12. The upper section 15 secured in closed position as by means of a screw 13 and pad lock 14:;. Any other suitable fastening means might be employ-ed to prevent the case from being opened by unauthorized persons. The case ispreferably made of cast aluminum or other suitable material which will withstandexposure to the weather. The casing is secured to a standard 15 which may have a' permanent mounting either on a stationary base; or the standard may be of a length to be set into the ground. v v I r Within the case is a rotary cleaning brush 16 carried on a shaft 17fjournalled in bearings formed in the sides of the case. A crank 18 provided with a-handle 19 is keyed to the shaft 17. V

The golf ball 20 while being cleaned is supported in a pocket or holder 21' which is pivotally connected by means of a yert-ical pivot pin '22 to the upper section 11 of the casing. The latter is formed withjan openis curved concentricwith the pivot 22, so

that in' all positions of the holder, the op n ing 23 is substantially closed thereby; thus preventing the introduction of foreign sub.-

stances into the casing; 'An extension 25 of the case member 11 accommodates the end of the holder 21. f1 5 v V The holder comprises parallel walls 26 and 27 provided with bearings for: the ends ofa series of rolls a, 6', 0'. These rolls are positioned to hold the golf ball 20 against the brush and are arranged at different angles, as shown, and are all inclined to the axis of the brush, 'so'that when the ball is rotated by the brush, said rolls will cause. a con- 7 present" a curved line of contact with ball.

The holder 21' is closed-on the top and sides and isonly" open at the bottom. 1 To In this manner, all porj 'placea golf'ball inlithe machine, the hold r is first swung outward to the limit of its movement, as shown in Figure3. The ball is then'introduced throughthe lower open end of the holder, between the sides 26 and 27 of the ball-holding pocket, said sides at this time being substantially parallel with the case. The holder is then swung to the closed position (Fig. 4). The outer face 28 of the holder lies flat against the face of the casing when the holder is closed, said face 28 having a flange extension 29 to fully cover the opening 23. A few turns of the hand crank causes a thorough scrubbing of the entire surface of the ball.

Any suitable cleaning material may be placed within the case 10. I have found that highly satisfactory results are obtained by the use of soap or cleaning material having substantiallythe consistency of shaving cream or cold cream. I preferably use for this purpose one of the cleaning materials now on the market adapted for removing grease or dirt without the addition of water. The cleaning material may, if desired, be introduced through openings 30 which are normally closed by screw plugs 31. By removing a plug, a tube containing the cleaning material and having a threaded end may be screwed into the opening 30 and the contents forced into the casing. An ordinary grease-gun or other implement might also be used for the same purpose.

It will be seen that the only means of access tothe interior of the casing, except for an authorized person, is through the lower end of the pocket 21, and that this does not lend itself readily to the introduction of sand, dirt or other foreign substances. Moreover, this opening is concealed from view and does not offer any temptation to introduce foreign materials, so that there is little danger of the machine being clogged up or ruined with foreign substances.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of my invention.

1 What I claim is:

1. A machine for cleaning golf balls or other articles comprising a casing provided with an opening in one side thereof, an article holder mounted on the casing and movable into and out of the casing through said opening, said holder being arranged to sub stantially fill said opening in all positions of the holder, a cleaning device within the easing, and means foractuating said cleaning device. a r

2. A machine for cleaning golf balls or other articles comprising a casing provided with an opening in one side thereof, an

article holder mounted on the casing and movable into and out of the casing through said opening, said holder being arranged to substantially fill said opening in all positions of the holder, a cleaning device within the casing, and means for actuating said cleaning device, said holder comprising a pocket opening downward to receive the article to be cleaned, said cleaning device being positioned to engage the under surface of the article and thereby hold it in the pocket while the latter 'iswithin the'casing.

3. A golf ball cleaning machine comprising a casing provided with an opening in one side, a rotary scrubbing brush within the casing, a hand crank exterior of the casing for rotating said brush, and a ball holder mounted on the casing and movable laterally into and out of the casing.

4. A golf ball cleaning machine comprising a closed casing having a vertical side wall with an opening therein,a ball holder pivoted to the casing to swing into and out of the casing through said opening, a scrub brush within the casing, and means to actuate said brush, said holder comprising means for holding a ball in contact with the brush.

5. A golf ball cleaning machine comprising a closed casing having a vertical side wall with an opening therein, a ball holder pivoted to the casing to swing into and out of the casing through said opening, said holder comprising a pocket opening downward to receive a ball, and a rotary scrub brush within the casing, said holder comprising rolls arranged to hold the ball in contact with the brush. v

6; A golf ball cleaning machine comprising a closed casing having a vertical side wall with an opening therein, a ball holder pivoted to the casing to swing into and out of the casing through said opening, said holder comprising a pocket opening downward to receive a ball. a rotary scrub brush within the casing, and rolls carried by said holder and operative to hold the ball in contact with the brush, said rolls being arranged at different angles whereby the axis of rotation of the ball is continually changed as it rotates in contact with the rolls.

7. In a ball cleaning device, the combination of a downwardly opening pocket to re ceive the ball, a cleaning device, said pocket and device being relatively shiftable to bring said device into engagement with the ball, and bearing rolls arranged in said pocket to engage the ball and hold it in contact with the cleaning device.

8. A ball cleaning device comprising, in combination, a downwardly opening pocket to receive a ball, rolls in said pocket in position to engage the upper surface of the ball, a brush, said pocket and brush being relatively shiftable laterally to bring the brush in contact with the under surface of the ball, and means to rotate the brush.

9. A ball cleaning machine comprising a rotary cleaning device, a casing, enclosing SZLlCl. device, means exterior of the casing for actuating Sflld'ClBVlCB, and a ball holder connected with the casing and shiftable to hold a ball in contact with the'cleaning device, and to withdraw the ball from the casing.

10. A ball cleaning machine comprising a rotary cleaning device, a casing enclosing saiddevice, means exterior of the casing for actuating said device, and a ball holder by which a ball is held in position to be operated upon by the cleaning device, said holder being movable away from the cleaning device to withdraw the ball from the cleaning device and opening downward when away from the cleaning device, to cause the ball to drop by gravity from the machine.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and): State of Ohio, this 16th day of May, 192

, WESLEY G. KAPP; 

